Quick one.

I'm going to make this quick because I am dead tired.

Today, I got up at 6:10 and left the house at slightly after 6:30. I rode the train into Kawasaki and got to work at exactly 8:00. I missed my first train by about 20 seconds, thanks to some jerks blocking the sidewalk while ineptly parking a work vehicle. However, I did make it to work...on time.

Once there, I had not one, but two no-shows in a row. So, I could have actually slept and gotten to work at a reasonable 10 or 10:30. But no. 8am...for nothing...it was. At least I get paid.

So, I then had a few actual classes spaced out through the day, but just enough to keep me really, really bored. I've been wanting to study calculus, but I've been really way too tired to either focus on it or motivate myself, so that has not been going down. It'll happen eventually, though, I just need to establish a solid routine.

Then, I went to Hamakawasaki to teach a class at the Toshiba plant there. They produce high voltage electrical equipment. I taught my first group class, and it was only a semi-disaster. I'm used to sink or swim situations and tend to thrive in them, but this is an almost entirely new level of irresponsible preparation from a boss. I'm just glad that I'm charming, or I'd have been fucked.

As it was, I pulled it off OK, although I did have to run to the copy machine a total of 3 times. In the middle of class. Fortunately, it was a 2 hour class, and, like I said, I'm charming. So, it was fine. Never let them see you sweat and the world will be your oyster.

On the way out of the plant, I chatted with the boss. The big boss, the corporate guy who runs the joint. It's interesting that he had some interesting characteristics that strongly reminded me of some of the high-ranking corporate types that I knew back home. The longer that I'm here, the more I'm reminded that people are fundamentally the same everywhere, regardless of cultural differences, which is a very good lesson to learn. We had a nice conversation (he's been to Portland), and I was reminded yet again that success in life is often measured by who you know and not by what you know or how good you are at knowing it. It's comforting that I am good at knowing stuff and forming bonds with people, including high-ranking Japanese businessmen.

There was a student tonight...a couple, actually, who seemed interested in a little more than a traditional teacher-student relationship. One of them asked me what I was doing after work. She isn't technically *my* student (there are two teachers), so I may entertain the idea of some dating. I would say that normally the teacher-student power dynamic would overrule such a thing, but in this case I am the one who is technically at a disadvantage since this is her country, I don't speak the language all that well, and she could probably get me deported.

So, yeah. We'll see.